The Queen of the Tearling

Volume 1 : A Novel

"On her nineteenth birthday, Princess Kelsea Raleigh Glynn, raised in exile, sets out on a perilous journey back to the castle of her birth to ascend her rightful throne. Plain and serious, a girl who loves books and learning, Kelsea bears little resemblance to her mother, the vain and frivolous Queen Elyssa. But though she may be inexperienced and sheltered, Kelsea is not defenseless: Around her neck hangs the Tearling sapphire, a jewel of immense magical power; and accompanying her is the Queen's Guard, a cadre of brave knights led by the enigmatic and dedicated Lazarus. Kelsea will need them all to survive a cabal of enemies who will use every weapon--from crimson-caped assassins to the darkest blood magic--to prevent her from wearing the crown."--

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The story follows Kelsea Glynn, the Queen of the Tearling that has been in hiding since her mother sent her away days before her assassination. Her adoptive parents Carlin and Barty have raised her strictly and studiously to ensure she becomes a fine ruler but now that she's reached the age of nineteen she must make the journey back to her kingdom and take the throne from her uncle, the regent.

Kelsea truly becomes a different person throughout her journey that had many ups and downs and though I became slightly distracted in the middle I enjoyed the full story because it was paced well with plenty of detail and information. There were several points of view but I enjoyed Kelsea's the most as I found the other ones could be drawn out at times. As for other favourite characters, Lazarus was amazing, Pen is the sweet and loveable type (Kelsea's personal guard) but The Fetch has the incredible allure of the mysterious man with danger and secrets.

The audience this book is intended for is adults, or very very mature teens. I found out the hard way, with a lot more thrown at me than I was anticipating. However, I got through it and found it worth more than the "mature" stuff could label it. The plot is thorough and exquisite, written with more dynamic characters and twists than the typical fantasy stories. There was a nice depth to it as the protagonist, Kelsea Raleigh, matured from beginning to end with the burden of queen-hood. Anyone who loved "Stardust," by Neil Gaiman (book) will surely enjoy this read.
- @Siri of The Hamilton Public Library's Teen Review Board

Looking forward to the rest of the series and am glad it is completed so I don't have to wait a year for each installment. Really liked the writer's capability to use her well developed style to spin an interesting plot with good character development,

Amid a sea of recent dystopian novels, this fantasy dystopian stands out! I completely lost myself in the world and the characters. Kelsea is exactly the kind of underdog that I love to cheer on! I can't wait to read more!

A dystopian fantasy that does not read like a typical dystopian novel.

Kelsea has been living in hiding all her life, preparing for the day when she will claim her throne. While she may know many things about how to be a good ruler, she still has a lot more to learn. She has to win over her guards and people to show them she is unlike her vain and frivolous mother, who cared little about running her country.

There is a war on the horizon, because Kelsea will not stand for picking her people out of a lottery and sending them to be slaves to the neighboring country. She does not care how powerful the neighboring queen is said to be. In order to protect her people, she intends to prepare her people for war, while also working to stay alive, despite assassinations attempts.

This book was originally recommended to me by a Teen, and I'm so grateful she felt comfortable telling me about this book! This dystopian fantasy story about a hidden princess in a world that sounds suspiciously like a futuristic Europe will have you laughing, crying, and rooting for this underdog of a girl who fights furiously for her people despite the consequences.

I rented this on audio book for the drive to and from work. I was pleasantly surprised. I was an avid fantasy reader as a teenager but its been years since I've felt so engaged. This one is a 'page turner'. I'm ready for #2!
It has some intense moments and a few upsetting scenes. It would not be appropriate for a younger audience.